01
1924ACTION
Bian Chiang Bank is established in Kuching.
One of the oldest corporate lineages that will eventually feed into CIMB begins in Sarawak.
← ChronologyUpdated 5 Oct 2026
CHRONOLOGY · BANKING · CIMB
CIMB: how mergers turned many banking lineages into one ASEAN group
A chronology showing how Bian Chiang Bank, Bank Bumiputra, Southern Bank, United Asian Bank, CIMB merchant banking and regional acquisitions converged into today's CIMB Group.
Year by year12 events1924-01-01 → 2026-10-05
ANIMATED CHRONOLOGY SUMMARYWatch the sequence before reading the full story.
1924-01-01→2026-10-05
STORY AT A GLANCE
Watch the sequence before reading the full story.
A chronology showing how Bian Chiang Bank, Bank Bumiputra, Southern Bank, United Asian Bank, CIMB merchant banking and regional acquisitions converged into today's CIMB Group.
12 EVENTS13 SOURCE LINKS
EVENT 1 OF 121924Bian Chiang Bank is established in Kuching.
One of the oldest corporate lineages that will eventually feed into CIMB begins in Sarawak.
WHY THIS HISTORY MATTERSCIMB is a case study in how banking consolidation can create a new regional institution from many older identities.
Continue to full chronology ↓Its history helps explain Malaysia's post-crisis banking consolidation and the broader push by domestic financial groups to compete across ASEAN.
FULL TIMELINE · SCROLL / CLICK / DRAG TO EXPLORE
Each step is dated and sourced. Statements, allegations, decisions and confirmed actions stay labelled separately so the timeline does not turn one side's claim into an established fact.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Follow the sequence, not just the headline.
02
1965DECISION
Bank Bumiputra and Southern Banking are established.
The two institutions develop very different franchises that later become part of the same universal-banking group.
03
April 1974ACTION
Pertanian Baring Sanwa Multinational is established as a merchant bank.
The joint venture focuses on corporate finance, restructuring and advisory — the lineage that later gives CIMB its investment-banking identity.
04
November 1979DECISION
Bian Chiang Bank becomes Bank of Commerce.
The restructured bank develops a reputation for systems, transparency and a performance-driven culture.
05
1986DECISION
The CIMB name appears: Commerce International Merchant Bankers.
Bank of Commerce takes control of the merchant bank and renames it CIMB, which becomes increasingly prominent in corporate finance, IPOs, equities and fixed income.
06
1991MONEY
Bank of Commerce merges with United Asian Bank.
The combined commercial-bank franchise gains a much larger branch network while CIMB remains a separate investment-banking subsidiary.
07
October 1999DECISION
Bank Bumiputra merges with Bank of Commerce.
The Asian Financial Crisis helps trigger a landmark consolidation that creates Bumiputra-Commerce Bank.
08
2006DECISION
The modern CIMB Group emerges as a universal bank.
Investment banking, consumer banking, Islamic finance and asset management are brought together, and the acquisition of Southern Bank completes a major three-way consolidation.
09
2000s–2010sACTION
CIMB expands aggressively across ASEAN.
CIMB Thai launches, Singapore consumer banking grows, Cambodia opens in 2010 and later Vietnam and the Philippines extend the retail footprint.
10
2018STATUS
CIMB establishes a presence in all 10 ASEAN countries.
The Philippines digital-bank launch completes a regional footprint built through a combination of acquisitions, subsidiaries and new licences.
11
2020–2022DECISION
CIMB adds explicit climate and digital commitments to its regional-bank strategy.
The group commits to phasing out coal by 2040, joins the Net-Zero Banking Alliance and launches the OCTO mobile-banking platform.
12
2026STATUS
CIMB reports RM794.9 billion in total assets across 10 markets.
The group remains one of ASEAN's largest universal banks, with consumer, corporate, investment and Islamic banking franchises.
WHY IS CIMB'S HISTORY SO COMPLICATED?
Because the modern group is the product of multiple Malaysian and regional banking lineages.
There is no single simple founding date.
Different pieces of today's group trace back to Bian Chiang Bank, Bank Bumiputra, Southern Bank, United Asian Bank and a 1974 merchant bank.
The Asian Financial Crisis accelerated consolidation.
The 1999 Bank Bumiputra–Bank of Commerce merger became a major building block for the later universal-bank structure.
Regionalisation was built through both M&A and greenfield expansion.
Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines show different pathways to creating an ASEAN network.
WHY THIS HISTORY MATTERS
CIMB is a case study in how banking consolidation can create a new regional institution from many older identities.
Its history helps explain Malaysia's post-crisis banking consolidation and the broader push by domestic financial groups to compete across ASEAN.
Questions the chronology cannot answer yet.
01Can a universal regional bank retain local-market strengths while standardising technology and risk management?
02How much of CIMB's future growth will come from digital banking rather than branches?
03Will sustainability commitments materially change the group's long-run loan and investment portfolio?
The events that would move this story forward.
01Execution of CIMB's Forward30 strategy.
02Digital-bank growth across ASEAN.
03Progress against coal phase-out and net-zero commitments.
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